Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that produce usable electricity by the catalyzed combination of a fuel such as hydrogen and an oxidant such as oxygen. In contrast to conventional power plants, such as internal combustion generators, fuel cells do not utilize combustion. As such, fuel cells produce little hazardous effluent. Fuel cells convert hydrogen fuel and oxygen into water with the generation of usable electricity, and can be operated at higher efficiencies compared to internal combustion generators.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2008/0113242, incorporated herein by reference, describes polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microporous films for use in ion conductive membranes.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2002/0100725 purportedly describes a method for preparing a thin fiber-structured polymer web using electrospinning.
International (PCT) Published Patent Application No. KR 2004/003238 purportedly describes a fuel cell having a porous and continuous membrane as the electrolyte membrane, containing polymer nanofibers.
U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2009/0239123 purportedly describes an electrolyte membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, reinforced with a nonwoven fabric made of a fiber of a fluororesin.
JP-A-2009-245639 purportedly describes an electrolyte membrane for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell containing an ion exchange resin reinforced with a nonwoven fabric made of fluorocarbon resin fibers.